Nature Trails

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happily at this nursery. They are welcomed by kind and friendly staff when they go into their rooms. Children are keen to explore the environment and quickly settle in to play with the array of resources that interest them.

Children engage well in the activities that are planned for them. For example, they smile and have fun as they work through the sequence of a popular story using materials such as grass, mud and animal figures. Children are keen to say what they remember about what happens next.

Children develop close relationships with staff. They receive warm interactions and cuddles from them. Thi...s helps children to develop good levels of self-esteem and feel safe and secure attending.

Children behave exceptionally well in this setting. They learn about positive behaviours as they receive lots of praise from staff when they are kind, take turns and share with their friends. Children routinely use good manners and say 'thank you' at snack time.

Older children begin to understand how to manage their own behaviours. All children gain a good breadth of quality experiences, both indoors and outdoors. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

They gain the skills and understanding they need to help them progress to their next stages in learning.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum for children's learning is well designed. Staff fully understand the sequence of the learning intentions for each child so they make continual progress in their development.

Staff skilfully plan the environments in line with children's current interests. They plan activities and experiences which motivate children to engage both independently or together with staff and their peers. For example, pre-school children enjoy using paintbrushes to make marks in flour.

They talk confidently about the marks they make. They proudly begin to form letters from their names.Babies develop their physical skills and strengthen their muscles in a range of ways.

For example, younger babies safely lay on their tummies as staff encourage them to reach for different objects. Older babies proudly pull themselves to stand and use a trolley to push as they walk across the room.All children have great fun as they explore the vast outdoor spaces.

They enjoy the challenges of the varied climbing equipment and building their own walkways to balance along. Older children carefully climb the low branches of a tree. Children play well together.

They giggle as they take turns sitting in a trolley to be pulled along the bumpy ground.Children show a keen interest in and learn about different insects. They eagerly search for ladybirds.

They are thrilled when they find them. Older children spend time observing what insects do. They are confident to tell visitors what they know about them.

Other children grin as staff lift them up to see a chrysalis. They are keen to learn that this will soon become a butterfly.Children develop independence.

Young children show increasing self-help skills as they put on their coats independently and wash their own hands. However, these young children would benefit from even further opportunities to become more fully independent, particularly at lunchtime.Children enjoy healthy lunches and are keen to feed themselves.

They each use appropriate cutlery to help them to manage this. Older children are skilled at serving themselves and pouring their own drinks.Leaders and managers regularly review practice and the effectiveness of the nursery environment.

Plans have begun to take place for some improvements, such as the lunchtime process. However, not all improvements have yet been implemented to enhance the provision for children further.Staff promote communication and language well.

Children engage in lots of discussion with staff who model conversations well. Children who speak English as an additional language acquire and use English quickly. Pre-school children are keen to talk about recent events.

They share how excited they were to see a hot air balloon. Staff readily provide the materials for children to make their own. Children articulately explain what they have learned.

They say how the fire makes the air hot and lifts the balloon into the air.Parents speak very highly of the friendly staff. They say they value the communication they receive daily about their children's care.

They say they receive regular updates about their children's learning and achievements.Leaders and managers complete effective supervision and monitoring of staff's practice. This ensures the quality of teaching is consistently good.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders, managers and staff demonstrate a clear understanding of their duties to safeguard children and protect them from harm or abuse. Staff know the signs and symptoms which may indicate a child is vulnerable to abuse or neglect.

Managers and staff know the procedures they must follow to report concerns about children's welfare. They also have a secure understanding of the procedures to follow in the event that an allegation is made against an adult working with children. Routine checks in the environment are made to ensure the nursery is safe for children to attend.

Recruitment procedures are robust. This includes the background checks that are carried out to ensure the suitability of those working in the nursery.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide younger children with further opportunities to become more fully independent, particularly at lunchtime continue to implement the identified improvements to the environment to enhance the provision for children even further.